Garcia's Admirer
by Sandman Sam
Summary: It doesn't take a genius to see true love. But sometimes it takes a little nudge. A little fun attempt at a cute story. Not entirely fluff. Fair Warning.
1. Chapter 1 Flowers and Lunch

Derek Morgan was the kind of person to say that he was not easily caught off-guard by the things that happened between his coworkers. It was like a family of odd characters that never ceased to amuse him. He was, however, surprised to see his favorite person perched on his desk rather than clicking away on her babies.

"And what can I do for you, Baby Girl?" He smiled as he set his coffee down and draped his jacket of his seat.

"I wanted to thank you for the flowers." She grinned playfully and he smiled through his confusion.

"What do you mean? I don't think I remember sending any flowers." He looked at her curiously, unsure if she was just testing him.

"You aren't the one who put the flowers on my office door, or my car door, or put the petal trail on my front walk to my car?" She asked, sincerely surprised.

"Nope, can't take credit for that. Wish I could though, it sounds like someone really went out of their way this morning." He smirked.

"But I thought it was you for sure when I read the card." She held up the said evidence and he read it himself:

_Flowers fit for a tech goddess. May you be showered with the proper affection from this day on._

"Sorry Baby Girl, it looks like you'll have to look a little further to find this guy. Though I can't say I won't be keeping a jealous eye on you." He growled playfully, leaning close to her.

Garcia laughed and rolled her eyes, trying to get the card back which he kept from her reach until her third try.

"Oh my dark chocolate knight, as if you need to fear the advances of a mere mortal on this goddess." She swatted his arm and blew him a kiss before going back to her office.

She was genuinely surprised that it wasn't Morgan, okay maybe more disappointed than anything, but it seemed odd that someone other than her friends would know she enjoyed being referenced as a goddess. Going through the list of her team she crossed off each as she thought about it. Hotch would never approach their relationship that way, Rossi saw her as more of an odd daughter, Reid was like a little brother and good friend. Only Morgan had ever hinted at the kind of relationship this card implied and he had honestly denied having been the one to send them.

Well she wasn't a tech goddess for nothing. Commanding her babies to obey her she quickly peeked into the sercurity tapes of her hallway, surprised when she saw a maintenence worker taping the flowers to her door. Was it the maintenence worker? That didn't make the least bit of sense.

Pausing for a moment she clicked on her phone and hit her speed dial, waiting the three rings to get an answer.

"Front desk, security." A deep voice spoke.

"Hey Tommy, it's Penelopie Garcia, technical analyst for the BAU." She smiled.

"Hey Garcia, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"I was just wondering who sent the flowers I found this morning?" She tried to sound innocent and she heard him chuckle on the other side.

"Can't say I know fully, they were on my desk when I arrived this morning with a twenty dollar bill and a note asking for those to be delivered to the most beautiful technical analyst the FBI has. I had Jared bring them up and he said he taped them to your door because you hadn't arrived yet." Tommy explained.

Well that left her back at square one.

At her silence he chuckled again,

"My wife tells me every day that sometimes it's better to enjoy what we don't know and expect an answer to come only when it's ready. Enjoy your flowers Miss Garcia, you have a very special place in somebody's heart." With that he hung up and she was left looking stumped at her beautiful boquet of golden orange orchids and soft pink tulips.

Fortunately a local case had her and her team's attention so she was able to lose herself in her work, that is until noon came and with it a knock on her door.

"Yes?" She answered, opening the door only slightly.

"Miss Penelope Garcia?" A young delivery boy asked.

"Yes, that's me." She nodded.

With that he produced a small plastic container of what smelled to be the most heavenly Italian food ever.

"But I didn't order that." She looked confused.

"A man called in and paid ahead, saying to deliver this at noon to your work." The boy explained, holding out the package as well as some napkins, a fork, and a small bag of breadsticks.

"Did he leave a name?" She asked.

"Only yours, ma'am." He answered.

Sighing in defeat she accepted the food with a quick thanks and then retreated into her office. The food really did smell amazing. As she unfolded everything she found one of the napkins had a note on it.

_Even when you work hard you deserve a treat on your break._

"Oh you're good." She admitted quietly.

Deciding this would be too elaborate way to poison her she went ahead and enjoyed what was truly one of the best lunches she'd ever had. Maybe having a secret admirer had its perks after all.

Morgan, who had been thinking of Garcia all day in the back of his mind, decided to give her a call. His timing was unexpected and it made Garcia jump a little but she smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Well hello there my super-delicious-hero. What can Louis Tech do for her Chocolate Kent?"

"You never cease to have nicknames for me, do you?" He smirked.

"What can I say, you are my smoking hot muse." She teased.

"So distract me for five minutes, tell me anything." He said as he walked around the hallway of the police station.

"Well you just caught me in the middle of enjoying the best breadstick I think man has ever made. Seriously I think I'm addicted and it's only the first of three in my possession." Garcia sighed happily. "Oh, and I tried to track the flowers down, but no luck. The security tape is of Jared but he was sent by Tommy who was paid twenty dollars to have them delivered. I looked up the floral shop and it turns out to be a little cart outside the mall six blocks from here. That means he probably paid in cash and it will be impossible to track him or get a name."

"He knows how to cover all possible tracks. Smart." Morgan mused, both amused and a little uncomfortable.

A secret admirer was nice but he was also very protective of his Baby Girl.

"I hear that little growl in your voice. You know it makes me all hot when you get all possessive." She teased, chuckling at his breathy laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. I just hope he knows if he wants to get closer than sneaking gifts he'll have to go through me." Morgan warned.

"Oh my adorable dream candy, you know you'll always be enough for this sweet tooth." She smiled.

"Good, you'll have to remind me of that when I take you out to dinner once we get back." Morgan grinned.

"I'll pen it on my calender and circle it with hearts, my love. Is there anything else you need?" She asked.

"No, for now. JJ is giving a press conference soon and then we'll do what we do from there." He shook his head.

"Kk, be safe."

"Of course, I have to stay looking sharp for my hot date." She could practically hear the smirk through the phone .

Laughing she ended the call and went back to her background work for the case, munching on her food in between scans. She really was becoming fond of the breadsticks.

"Everything okay with Garcia?" Reid asked, surprising Morgan.

"Yeah, how did you-"

"You seemed a little distracted today and you only smile like that on a phone when you talk to Garcia." Reid explained.

Nodding Morgan returned to the team, Hotch had stepped out with the detective and JJ was finishing up her notes for the press conference.

"Garcia has a secret admirer." He admitted, making everyone pause.

"Like a serious one?" Emily asked, trying to guage Morgan's answer.

"Well, yeah. He's only sent flowers but it wasn't just like one boquet randomly at work. He made a petal path to her car and had a boquet for her car and her office." He explained. "He's been clever enough to pay in cash and not show who he is to anyone who could turn him in as the admirer."

"Does it bother you?" JJ asked.

"He called her a tech goddess. Only someone close to our team would know about that kind of nickname." Morgan admitted. "That means it's someone close but no one I can think of."

"What about that Lynch guy?" Rossi asked.

"He's not confident enough to do something like that. Maybe if it had been something like just setting them at her office door." Emily shook her head, Morgan nodding in agreement.

"It's not just that he's giving her gifts like flowers...he knew where she lived, which car was hers. He knew when her schedule well enough to plant the flowers there without fear of being caught." Morgan finally said.

"Sounds borderline stalker when you put it that way." Rossi said as he swirled his cup of coffee.

"One in twelve women are stalked during her lifetime." Reid spoke up. "For men it's closer to one in forty-five."

"Thanks Reid." Emily said sarcastically, Reid shrugged.

"If my opinion counts, I think we're looking at this from a profiler perspective. We're approaching this like the close, protective friends of a girl who, as strong as she is, has experienced some bad times with people we haven't known much about. If someone is sending her flowers we should say we're happy for her and be there for her if she needs us. Chances are seldom that secret admirers really turn out to be as good as they appeared when they were shrowded in mystery. With any luck it will be just another tech nerd from two floors down and we can deal with him when he shows himself." Rossi mused.

Morgan wanted desperately to agree with Rossi so he nodded and held back the thoughts still swirling in his head and tried to push them aside. They were working a case after all.

But this was far from over.

Do you think you know who the admirer is?


	2. Chapter 2 Poems and Challenges

Garcia had been mentally running over possibility, even running background checks on the other techies in her building to see if any of them fit the mental profile she had been trying to put together by herself. So far none of them had really fit the bill. For a moment she feared that it was Kevin but she quickly surpressed that idea when she realized he was allergic to the pollen in flowers and wouldn't go through all the trouble.

The only thing that itched about this was that she had never had someone elude her so well. His tracks had been so well placed that she couldn't find him anywhere. Even after checking the records of the Italian place (not that she would admit she had) she found no transaction for that lone dish for delivery. Perhaps he had a tab there with the owner and would pay when he got the chance. That way she would never know exactly who he was because she couldn't track when he planned on paying. Darn it, he was impressive. Even after almost two whole days she hadn't found any more leads.

Deciding that she needed a break from looking at her screens and her thoughts of this mystery man, she decided to check her mail. Honestly this man was taking up as much of her thoughts as her Morgan did. Once she got to her mailbox she was unimpressed by the rolled up memos stating things she'd skimmed over a million times before and she almost walked away without a second glance but she did anyway and that's when she saw it. A single envelope, small and ornate. It was closed by a sticker of a smiley face that made her giggle.

Earning glances from people passing by she took her mail back to her office and locked the door, quickly, but carefully, opening the envelope and taking out the small card. The scrawl was neat and quick, a mix of cursive and print.

_Heroes have spotlights that shine behind them,_

_Making them intimidating to the darkness it faces_

_Who knew that light could be personified,_

_Someone worth returning to from the chases_

_You've never been mine,_

_And your heart will never be_

_But you deserve to know someone cares,_

_Even if your eyes will never see_

_Stay shining,_

_And I promise I will too_

_May Derek Morgan know how worthy,_

_He'll have to become to truly deserve a light like you_

She was speechless. More than speechless. She was in awe. Yeah, awe seemed like a better word for it. It broke her heart and melted it back together at the same time. Her secret admirer wasn't persuing her for a romantic relationship, but rather to show her just how special she was. They also saw her love for Derek Morgan, something she knew couldn't be much of a secret. (Well maybe to Morgan.) Was it a person from another team? She didn't understand. How could someone outside her team have seen it? Again she looked over her mental checklist but none of her boys seemed to fit the profile.

Then she glanced at the back of the card and found something else.

_Don't try and find me, I promise secrets aren't kept forever._

Closing the card she set it down in front of her and stared at it, her eyes glistening with tears, wanting nothing more than a hug and a glass of wine. She silently agreed to the command on the back of the card. She didn't want to search for him anymore. There was an odd sense of trust the handwritten poem communicated. His promise that secrets weren't forever. It became enough for her. God she needed a drink.

Morgan had been working non-stop for the past thirty-six hours but they had finally caught the serial kidnapper and brought all but one child back to their families. It was a rough job but as he settled into his SUV, he knew why he kept doing it. For every time a child ran back into the arms of loving parents. For every time he brought peace back to a family. For his family at the BAU. Starting his treck back home he didn't see the little notecard until he stopped at a red light.

_You've said I love you a hundred times, but can you prove it? If she's worth it, you'll have to say so. Before I do._

He started at the typed script in surprise. Someone was calling him out? No, not just someone. He'd bet his entire pay check it was his Baby Girl's "secret admirer". Even with the secrecy, he sounded serious. He was telling him to prove it before it was too late. He'd made that mistake once with Kevin Lynch but he didn't think he'd be in danger of doing it again. Was that why it had rattled him so much to have someone else spoiling the girl who'd stolen his heart every day he breathed?

_Before I do._

He was on a time limit and that didn't seem right to him. He couldn't force his feelings on Garcia. Sure, she flirted with him constantly but that's what they did. That's how their personalities fit together. He was a profiler. He would have seen it if she truly returned his level of feelings. Maybe he could test it a little on their dinner date tonight.

Speaking of which, he probably needed to call ahead.

"Hey Baby Girl."

"Hey handsome, what's the sitch on the case?" She asked, happy as always.

"All closed and ready for my snuggle time on your horrible couch." He smirked. "Or I could always lure you to my soft leather throne?"

"And wake up to Clooney kisses again? No thanks." She laughed. God he loved that laugh.

"So how much time do you need? I'm about half an hour out if I drive straight to your place." He asked.

"That's more than enough, my darling." She purred.

"I'll speed then. See you soon." He chuckled.

"I'll be counting." She warned and hung up.

On the way there he stopped by a small flower cart and picked up a dozen roses. When he finally arrived on her street he saw a small car pull out of her driveway and drive off in the other direction. Suspicion got the better of him and he called out for her as he entered.

"Baby Girl?"

"You, my sculpted perfection, have perfect timing. The Chinese food just got here." She beamed, relieving his every fear with one smile and a handful of words.

"Eating in?" He asked playfully.

"Oh yes, I'm feeling extra selfish tonight and want you one hundred percent to myself. I pulled out a couple of your favorite movies from my collection. We've both seen them a hundred times so I thought you could pick whichever one you want." She snaked him close for a quick hug and then went back to getting dinner situated and on a tray to take into the living room.

"Sounds like a plan to me. But you're forgetting one part." He grinned.

"What part?" She looked up, confused and he revealed the boquet from behind his back.

"I figured if someone wants to be your secret admirer, I would be you not-so-secret admirer." He handed over the roses which she touched gently.

"They're beautiful." She smiled softly, her eyes lighting up as she put them in a vase and placed them in the middle of her kitchen island.

"I'm glad you like them." He smiled and kissed her temple quickly before going into the living room, tray in hand.

Exhaustion was slowly starting to creep its way into his body and the couch was becoming more and more comfortable as they settled down. He had half of his dinner down and only fifteen minutes of the movie through when he fell asleep. Garcia smiled affectionately at her beautiful chocolate god and slowly put all the food back on the tray and turned the volume of the movie down. Hoving over his lap she planted a feather light kiss on his pouting lips and then went back to snuggling into his side, happy to fall asleep too.

When Morgan finally woke up the sun was streaming through the window and he was slightly stiff from not having moved all night. Not completely awake he looked around for a few moments, confused about his surroundings until his brain started kicking in and supplying the right memories. He had fallen asleep during the movie and by the situation of his blanket, she hadn't left the couch either.

But where was she now?

"Baby Girl?" He called, his voice thick with sleep.

"Don't you sound tempting." She appeared from around the corner, wrapped in his favorite silk robe, hair up in pig-tails and a spatula in her right hand.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Seven o'clock in the morning. You're almost in time for breakfast. The last of the eggs are cooking now." She smiled. "Plus I have waffles."

He gave her a tired version of his smirk and motioned for her to come closer and when she obliged he pulled her onto his lap. She let out a small squeak and blushed as his arms wrapped around her and his head cuddled into her arm.

"Good morning, pretty mamma." He murmured into her sleeve.

"Derek, I have to finish cooking." She giggled.

"Mmmummm." He tightened his grip, making her laugh again.

"Boy, if you make my house smell like burnt eggs." She laughed and touched her head to his. "Good morning, stud muffin."

"That's better." He tilted his head and kissed her on the cheek before releasing her.

She stumbled to the kitchen, more than a little flustered. She knew he was pretty unpredictable when he was tired but that was more than she expected.

Back in the living room Morgan was mentally kicking himself. He worried that he'd gone too far since he had fallen asleep before he could start hinting at his feelings. Maybe she would think he was just still really tired and teasing her. In reality he savored every second she was close to him and he'd sell his soul to do that every morning. Wake up to her cooking, hold her like she was his. Why hadn't he just given in and asked her to be his already? It almost seemed silly not to.

The words of the secret admirer came playing back into his head and he sighed. Knowing that someone else was seeing how royaly he was screwing up at this he asked himself why hadn't he before this? Garcia was a hell of a girl but she didn't deserve all flirt and nothing more.

He had to figure a new plan of attack, one where he didn't fall asleep before he could execute it.

He was going to woe her, secret admirer be damned.


	3. Chapter 3 Garcia Speaks Her Mind

Garcia couldn't imagine a better morning. She had her chocolate god sitting across from here, smiling at her between tantalizing bites. How could a man make her envious of scrambled eggs? She couldn't come up with a logical answer other than the fact that it was Dereck-friggin-Morgan.

She knew she couldn't hold onto him all morning, they both had work after all. Still, she savored it and was almost disappointed when he finished eating and stood.

"I have a change of clothes in my car." He caught her slightly disappointed look and misread it, grinning he leaned close, his nose grazing her cheek. "Don't worry, little mamma, I'm coming back."

"Mhmm, now go, so you can come back sooner." She teased, playfully pushing him towards the door as she collected the dirty dishes.

As he got ready in the guest space she hopped in the shower and followed her usual morning routine, finishing only five minutes later than he did.

"I can take you to work." He offered with a smile.

"You just want another reason to come back to my place tonight." She giggled.

"Guilty." He held out his hands as if he had handcuffs.

"When will you realize Derek Morgan?" She leaned against him, her eyes narrowing seductively as her lips came closer to his ear. "You never need any reason to visit my temple other than pure, unadulterated need."

Morgan swore internally, almost wishing she didn't have so much power over him.

"What can I say? Even a god needs to respect his goddess." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her his smoldering look, feeling satisfied when she blushed under his stare.

Holy cow! Was Derek Morgan, thee Derek Morgan, staring at her like he wanted nothing more than to fufill every fantasy she'd ever had since she met him? Oh Lord, she hoped so. Otherwise she needed to get a catscan or something.

"Well if that's the case." She whispered breathlessly, giving her smile that made his heart melt.

"So is that a yes?" He asked.

"What...what was the question again?" She asked, feeling flustered.

"You were going to agree to me driving you to work." He grinned, his lips hovering over her neck, just enough for her to sense them but not touch.

"Was I?" She breathed. "Well...okay."

"Perfect." He chuckled and grabbed her purse off the chair with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist, guiding her to the front door.

Luckily Garcia was good at composing herself on command so by the time they reached their work she was back to her old self, sans the thoughts fluttering around her head about the man sitting across from her. She was definitely going to have to bring up his behavior. No best friend, no matter how flirtatious, gets a girl that worked up and is just being his usual old tease. Did he even know the effect he was having on her?

That question and the others were squashed however when she opened her office to find a large fuzzy toy cat stretched out on her desk, a large blue velvet box sitting on its front paws.

Curiousity getting the better of it she took the box into her lap and opened it, gasping when she saw a pair of beautiful feather earings of every color and a matching necklace with black pearls laced in it. In the top of the box a little card was tucked away and she quickly opened it to see what it said:

_Splurging on you has been more fun than I have had in ages. I can't wait to see what you look like in these. Soon. _

Being a grown adult with her very own office, and a relatively sound-proof door, she allowed herself a little squeal of excitement and quickly switched her jewelry out for her new present. It felt odd accepting such a gift when she didn't know exactly who the giver was, but she absolutely adored it. It fit her personality perfectly. Honestly she just wanted to meet him to thank him.

Then the thought struck her, what if he had hand delivered it this time? It had gone all the way into her office after all. She was itching to peek at the tapes but she remembered his request and resolved to honor it. Petting the toy cat she admired it and slipped the card back into the box, happy to leave it in its original place.

A knock at her door took her attention but didn't burst her good mood.

"Come in." She called happily.

Reid stepped in, dressed and smiling in his usual Reid fashion. She beamed happily at him.

"Good morning my junior g-man, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"I was just coming because...well Morgan seemed worried during the case, so I thought I'd talk to you." Reid admitted.

"Worried? About what?" She asked.

"About your secret admirer. But Rossi said that we might just be acting like overprotective profilers because we don't want you to get hurt. Although you seem pretty happy, I don't think we have much to worry about." Reid gave a small smile.

"Oh Reid, I really am happy, and not just because someone is sending me cute things. It's why he's doing it...and then there's Morgan." She blushed slightly and she knew Reid didn't miss it.

"Morgan?" He asked.

"His behavior lately...I don't know. Maybe I'm just looking for hope in a silly place. But last night he came over to watch a movie but he fell asleep and stayed the night and then this morning...I don't know, maybe it's just because he was still half-asleep. I just feel like maybe he's not joking as much as I fear he might be." Garcia smiled.

"Emily and I were talking after the case and she's curious about his behavior as well. He was displaying class A jealous alpha behavior when we were away on the case. Minor distractedness, calling you just to call you, and the first thing he does when we get back is go to your place and spend all night with you." Reid said, then realized how he'd worded that. "I don't mean to imply that you..."

"It's okay Reid, I know what you meant." She laughed, then she asked, "Do you think his behavior is only because of the admirer and not because it's really changing?"

Reid surveyed the doubt flash across his friend's face and thought for a moment before answering honestly.

"Really, it could be one of two theories. One is that the admirer finally triggered his initiative to take your relationship to another level or that he's just being protective and using his sexual nature to stay close in order to preserve a relationship he values and is unwilling to lose over another person. The best way to find the answer to which theory it is is to give it a few days or so and see if it continues to progress or if he pulls back into his old ways. You'll be able to tell the difference. Or you could confront him, but I would at least try and give him a day or so."

"Thanks Reid, I appreciate your advice." She smiled

"So any leads as to who the admirer is? Morgan mentioned you weren't having much luck." Reid asked.

"No." She admitted. "But I feel like we'll know who it is someday."

"Statistically, it's more logical for him to be someone you already know. Secret admirers are like romantic stalkers and only thirty-eight percent of all women stalked were stalked by strangers." Reid offered.

"Thanks." She chuckled. "That really narrows down my list."

"Technically, yes." He pointed out but smiled too.

"Hey Reid? Which theory do you think it is?" She asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly a relationship guru but I know which theory your wishing for and really I think the teams hoping for the same. We're all glad you have an admirer, but in a vote we know who you'd pick. Statistically, it's emotionally invigorating to have a secret admirer. It increases a persons worth in their own eyes." Reid offered as he stood.

"Yeah, yeah. I feel like a pretty, pretty princess." Garcia laughed and shooed him out. "Go save the world my superhero. Tell everyone I send my love."

Garcia felt a happy bubble surrounding her for the greater part of the day and everytime she had to run an errand outside her office at least one person complimented her on her jewelry. Reid was right, it was like a short of emotional steriods. She felt flattered beyond belief. She even stopped thinking about the possible explinations for Morgan's possessive behavior.

By noon she checked her mailbox, happy to see an ornate little envelope hiding in her mailbox again. Quickly going back to her office she opened the envelope and took out the card.

_What you don't believe about yourself are the parts that make everyone love you. _

_May I have this dance? _

_Please come to the Red Mirran Bar tonight. The song will be dedicated just for you._

_I'll be waiting in the center. 7:50_

She couldn't help but grin ear to ear. She was gonna meet her secret admirer. Truthfully, she hadn't been expecting him to do it so soon but she was still excited. Tonight she would get an explination on how this person knew so much about her and managed to stage all of these surprises without being caught.

A knock came at her door and she quickly stashed away the cards and the velvet box. Just as she finished hiding them the door opened and Morgan stepped in.

"Hey, Baby Girl." He smiled.

"Come to whisk away a beautiful maiden?" She asked, grinning.

"You know me too well." He chuckled.

"Really?" She asked.

"Really. There's a really nice diner not far from here. Whatdya say to curling up in a corner booth?" He winked

"I say lead the way my chocolate malt." She stood and took the arm that he offered.

"New jewelry?" He asked.

"Yeah, they just came in today. Do you like?" She asked.

"They suit you." He nodded, giving her her favorite smile.

She followed him to the SUV, surprised by how honest he'd been when he said diner. It looked like a complete throw back to a time period she doubted she was even alive during. In any case, she snuggled into the booth and smiled like a rebellious teenager, Morgan sharing her conspiratory look.

Lunch was delicious and Morgan kept her laughing with story after story, leaving her unsure how the conversation even started. Finally it seemed to settle down and she looked down at her milkshake, stirring her straw almost absent-mindedly.

"Everything okay, Babydoll?" He asked.

"Yes." She said, then paused. "I got another card from my secret admirer. I'm going to meet him tonight."

"Tonight?" Morgan frowned. Red flag number one for Garcia.

"Yes." She pushed on. "At a bar."

"Just like that? You're going to go. You don't even know who it is." Morgan pointed out.

"Chances are more likely that I know him, I just didn't know it was him." Garcia countered.

"You sound like Reid." He waved it off dismissively. "You can't just go to a bar by yourself. This could be someone dangerous."

"I _can't_." She echoed, frowning herself. "Since when am I not a big girl who can go places when she wants to?"

"When it's to meet a potentially dangerous unsub." Morgan retorted.

"He's not an unsub, Derek!" She put her hands up. "He's an admirer. He's just a guy who sent me some presents and tried to make me remember how special I am. What about that makes him dangerous?"

"The fact that he challenged me!" Morgan finally admitted.

"_Challenged _you? Oh, he _challenged_ you did he? Well guess what Derek, I'm not just some possession. No one challenges you for someone else." Garcia felt her eyes sting with unshed tears.

"That's not what I meant." He shook his head.

"You know what? I think you knew exactly what you meant. And I get it. You're jealous because some other guy decides to go out of his way to show me that yes, I am pretty, and specia,l and in _somebody's_ league. You can't handle that the little kitten you petted but never took out of the box to take home is getting attention from someone else before you could make up your damned mind. Well guess what Derek Morgan? Maybe I needed to feel like someone actually wanted more than playful banter from me. Maybe I don't mind feeling appreciated. Maybe you need to grow up."

She grabbed her purse and stormed out, knowing she was close enough to work to not completely kill herself in the heels she had decided on. He didn't go running after her, he didn't call out her favorite nickname and beg her to understand. In fact, he hadn't moved a muscle since she started yelling. He was probably still frozen in that damned spot. Damn, Derek Morgan. She didn't need to be told she couldn't be appreciated by someone else by someone who spent years flirting and woeing her but never made a move beyond that. Screw that, she didn't feel like playing the wounded techie aching for his love right now. She wanted a hard drink and to forget that she had even spewed those words or that she had heard the words that had triggered everything.

Honestly, he was going to be the death of her.


	4. Chapter 4 Meeting Mr Admirer

He was a complete and utter asshole.

As soon as he had opened his mouth and saw the hurt in her eyes he knew he was screwed. Every angry sentence she threw at him was well deserved. He was jealous and he was possessive even though he had no real right to be. He had never officially asked her to be his. She just always had been. Almost always. Why hadn't he learned from his past mistakes? Why did he have to go and screw everything up like this?

Between the guilt from hurting her, the hurt from knowing he might be losing her to another man again, and the anger at himself for his own stupidity he couldn't find it in him to do anything but go home and pour a strong drink.

This was going to be a long night.

Garcia had tried to shake off her anger. She'd even let herself cry for a little while. But her mood had been trampled, at least mostly trampled. By the time she got out of work she was relieved to go home and get ready to go to the bar. By the time she showered and dressed, putting back on her new jewelry and fresh make-up it was close to 6:40. Feeling some of her excitement crawling back she resolved not to make this a rebound night. She wasn't going to get back at Morgan, she was going to get her answers and thank him for the gifts. Even if it wasn't someone she could have a romantic relationship with, she could still be close to him as a friend. She needed a good friend at the moment.

With one last glance over and her favorite club purse she grabbed her car keys and headed out.

"Come on Esther, it's time to have a little fun."

The bar was already pretty alive when she arrive, people in everything ranging from formal wear to casual jeans and a clean shirt. She was glad she decided on something in the middle. She claimed a seat at the bar and ordered a drink. 7:23.

It wasn't normally a place she would think of to go to, but she found she liked it. The people were friendly and the dj kept the music upbeat. Only a few times were the songs dedicated to someone and so far none of them had been towards her. Each time made a little knot in her stomach appear. Eventually the clock showed mercy and 7:50 came upon her. Just as she noticed the song ended and a slower song took its place.

"Alright kittens, we're gonna slow it down for a little bit. This song goes out to the fine Miss Penelope Garcia, come get your man Garcia!" The dj smiled, and she realized the song; Hero by Enrique Iglesias, one of her favorites.

She took a deep breath and made her way to the center of the floor as a large group of the couples took this opportunity to take a break and get a drink. Standing in the middle she looked a little confused, not recognizing anyone.

"Penelope."

She turned around and her nervous smile blossomed into her usual beaming smile.

"You." She giggled

"I hope you're not disappointed." Reid smiled, his hands in his pockets as he stepped closer to her.

"How could I be?" She opened her arms for a hug and he laughed and returned it.

Instead of letting go she grabbed his hand and with her other put it on his shoulder, he obediently followed her lead and slow danced with her.

"Thank you, for the gifts, and the cards. I appreciated them very much." She smiled.

"It was kind of fun, searching for the right gifts. You deserve to be spoiled every now and then." Reid shrugged but grinned sheepishly. "I was also running on the theory that Morgan would wise up and admit he had feelings for you."

Garcia's expression fell and he was quick to notice.

"What happened at lunch? He came back upset and wouldn't talk about it and I didn't see you for the rest of the day." He asked.

"We...we went to a diner and I told him that I was coming here tonight and he got all mad. He called you a potentially dangerous unsub." She sighed. "I yelled at him."

"You yelled at him?" Reid asked, shocked.

"He said you challenged him and I got all mad and told him he was just jealous and angry because someone else was showing me attention and that I was worth the effort and he just couldn't stand it because he had spent so much time and never made up his mind how he felt about me. I told him to grow up."

Garcia looked so guilty that Reid leaned forward and kissed her nose and smiled, catching her attention effectively.

"I did challenge him." He admitted, gaining a look of surprise. "I left him a card that said I wanted him to prove his feelings before I did. I called him out. I thought it would get his attention easier than waiting for months on end to see how angry he would get before admitting his feelings. I didn't think it would explode like this."

"Oh Reid." Garcia murmured.

"I do think that it was good of you to vent, though. That way he knows it isn't just him he's hurting by stringing along his feelings." Reid twirled her and when he pulled her back she had tears in her eyes. "You're very special and wonderful Penelope Garcia, you should always know that. No matter how long it takes us stupid guys to realize what it takes to deserve women like you."

Garcia smiled dispite her watery expression and she pulled him into a tight hug, rocking back and forth to the music.

"Thank you, Reid. So much." She whispered.

"I think you have a chocolate god of thunder to release from his mental prison of guilt and stupidity." Reid smiled, releasing his friend.

Garcia cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss before letting go and giving him a beaming smile and leaving. He grinned and shook his head, heading towards the bar. Hopefully his friends finally had it through their thick skulls.

Esther was a little less than willing to warm up quickly to the speed and turns, but eventually an impatient Garcia pulled into Morgan's driveway. Once she got there and turned her car off she paused, a small seed of doubt blooming in her stomach. What if he didn't want to talk to her after all that she said? She wouldn't blame him, not really.

Finally she pushed herself to leave her car and make a very slow and timid walk to his front door. With any luck he'd be fast asleep and wouldn't even think to answer the door. As she raised her hand to knock though the door opened and revealed Morgan, jacket half on with an arm cocked up to slide the last sleeve on and keys in hand. They both froze, looking at the other like it could just be a mirage brought on by guilt, fear, or both.

"Pen?" He whispered, and she felt herself snap from her trance, he only called her that on very special occasions or when he was trying to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry I screamed at lunch. I should have approached that better." She finally blurted out.

"No, no." He shook his head, letting his arm drop. What she also noticed was the slight slur he was trying to hide.

"Were you going to drive drunk?" Her voice hitched, her eyes widening in shock.

"I needed to find you." He looked down, wincing at her question.

"But I never told you which bar I was going to." She looked confused.

"I know." He glanced up.

Would he have gone bar to bar looking for her? If he was willing to drive under any intoxication level then the answer was simple. Yes.

"It was Reid." She admitted.

"What?" It was his turn to look confused.

"My secret admirer. It was Reid. He wanted to cheer me up and spur you to admit your feelings. He told me about calling you out. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions." She looked bashful.

"It isn't your fault. I've been an ass. I've been jealous and possessive and you're not even my girlfriend." He sighed, noticing her wince at the last part. "No! I mean you're not, but I acted like you were because you were just always there, you were my Baby Girl. I was arrogant and never thought twice about making it official. That wasn't fair to you."

"No." She said softly. "It wasn't."

"It was really Reid?" He asked.

"Yeah." She smiled softly.

Morgan let out something between a laugh and a breath of relief, leaning his head against his hand on the doorframe.

"Derek Morgan, I'm in love with you." Garcia forced her nerves down and he slowly looked at her. "I've pretty much been in love with you since the first year I knew you. You were so confident and strong and you were always you. I respected that. I respected how you handled your job and cared for your team. I loved our banter and our non-dates. I loved learning all the little things about you and how you picked up on my little things. You respected my space when I settled for Kevin and you came right back to my side after. You've been my best friend for years and I can't imagine my day being minus you, or your voice, or our conversations. You're so friggin perfect but you're standing there looking amazed that I would feel this way towards you when all I can think when I fall asleep is that only on the luckiest star could I get someone like you."

Morgan pushed himself back into an upright position and looked at the woman in front of him. The woman he had told himself for years would never be more than a playful conversation and the best non-date he'd ever had. She was the confident and nerdy technical analyst who proved she could be strong and sexy without being model thin. And she was the one saying she thought _she'd_ be lucky to get _him_?

"Baby Girl, if I have to make it my life's goal it will be to prove to you that you are the sexiest damn thing that's ever walked this earth and I'm the one who should be honored by your attention."

Suddenly he sounded like her Morgan again. The one she wanted to shower her in love from head to toe.

"You're just saying that because you're drunk." She said more out of reflex than honesty.

"Damn it, Pen, why can't you see how much you affect me? You are the sexiest person I have ever met and every time I hear your voice all I can think of is how I want to hear it every day. I want to touch and know every inch of you. I want you to be all mine, all the time, forever." He walked within inches of her, putting his strong hands on her arms, his eyes giving off that same smoldering look from this morning.

"Derek." She said, her voice thick with emotion.

He watched as her tears spilled over and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you, Baby Girl, so much." He kissed the top of her head.

Unable to answer she let her supressed sobs rise to the surface, a mix of joy and disbelief. She wanted to hold on to him forever. If this was a dream, she prayed it would just keep going and going.

Clooney whined as he caught wind of her sobs. He'd never been comfortable when crying women were around and he danced around them, trying to lick Penelope's hand. She let out a laugh though it came across as more of a hiccup.

"Hey handsome, are you going to comfort me too?" She asked and his tail wagged anxiously and he let out a slow whine, making both her and his master laugh.

"Pen." He whispered and she looked up at him, her make-up was smuged but she was still gorgeous to him.

"Ask me Derek." She finally said. "Officially."

"Penelope Garcia, will you be my girlfriend and let me make you feel special every day of your natural born life and then some?" Morgan asked, kissing her hands as he spoke.

Penelope let out a small giggle and nodded.

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5 A Week Later

1 week later.

The whole team had assembled at what was now Garcia's favorite Italian restaraunt ever, sitting at a large circular table on the outside terrace. The weather was nice and the stars were beautiful. There was a general lightness to the night that everyone was basking in, especially Garcia who was comfortably situated in the arms of her living god, feeding him bites of breadstick.

Rossi stood and lifted his glass of beer,

"To Penelope and Derek. Finally!"

Everyone laughed and raised their glasses, echoing "Finally!" and taking a drink.

"Hey Spence." Morgan called from across the table. "This better mean the end of the secret admirer. She's all mine now." He grinned with a wink, earning laughs from his commrads and a nod of surrender from Reid.

"That doesn't promise the end of giving her the best gifts." Reid teased and Garcia snorted.

"You trying to start war, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked.

"Cease and desist!" Garcia laughed. "Before you go into debt over me."

"You could put a money limit on us." Reid offered.

"Fine. One hundred dollars." Garcia smirked.

"A week?" Morgan asked.

"A month!" Garcia corrected.

"Works for me." Reid smiled confidenlty, earning jokes and props from the others.

"We'll see, Pretty Boy, I still have one advantage that's priceless." Morgan winked and nuzzled Garcia's neck, making her squeal and Emily fake gag.

"Men." JJ shook her head and clinked glasses with Emily.

"Hotch? Any help?" Garcia asked.

"As long as it doesn't interfere with their work performance." Hotch trailed, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement at Garcia's shock.

"One hundred a year!"

"Aww, come on Garcia, we already agreed on a month!"

"Fine, then there has to be a month long break. One hundred dollars every other month. I don't want to have to rent a storage locker just because of this night!"

"So, fifty dollars a month?"

"No!"

"But-"

"No!"

"Mor-"

"No! No tag-teaming!"

Morgan just laughed and watched the two go back and forth, content to watch his Baby Girl look flustered for a little while longer.

After all, they had all the time they wanted now.

Really short but yeah. At first this was going to be a long one-shot but I changed my mind. Now it's like 4.5. Reviews are appreciated. I may make some others.


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